Overall, what is the best semi-automatic pistol for concealed carry in the opinion of the membership? Please note I'm not talking about caliber here, but rather the pistols themselves. I realize this is a very difficult question to answer definitively because no single weapon will fit all possible concealed carry circumstances, yet I think the question does have a degree of relevance nonetheless. Assume you are a new CCW holder, that you have a good deal of background experience with firearms, and that you have sufficient funds available to purchase pretty much whatever you want. What would you choose as the optimum carry pistol and why? I've set up some common choices in the poll above, but please don't feel limited by those. Also, please limit your responses to pistols in this thread and note that I have set up a similar one for revolvers for those of you who prefer those.

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If you are experienced I don't think there could ever be anything close to a best overall. It will come down entirely to what you can comfortably carry and shoot. My USP compact isn't the smallest frame to stuff IWB, but I find it to be a good overall compromise for myself, a Glock might be more comfortable but I would never carry one because my accuracy is not nearly as good as it is with other weapons.

If you are inexperienced I think almost any revolver would do you well. The simplicity cannot be beat. Point and click, Microsoft would be proud. Sure a Glock or XD will do that, but you get more complicated maintenance etc. - and again that is my opinion as for people who were not very experienced.

Hey all, I just joined and thought I"d weigh in on this one. I hold a Concealed Carry Permit in North Carolina and am armed probably 98% of the time I leave my house. I carry a Walther P99AS in 9x19 loaded with 124gr Hydra-Shoks. I'm 5'4 and use an IWB holster with little problem. The P99 is simply the most comfortable pistol I've ever held in my hands. It's also the smoothest 9mm I've ever fired. I like a pistol with a decocker and no manual safety that can be carried with a full 15 round mag and one in the chamber. But as others have said, you should use whatever is most comfortable for you.

1911 .45 acp. It did not serve the US military for 75 years without reason.
It is accurate, reliable, and has real man-stopping power. The slimness allows for the concealed carry of the high caliber weapon.

If I'm restricted to deep concealment, I'll carry a G19 in an ankle holster or trouser pocket but that G19 is always with me no matter the circumstance or condition. If I can make it work, I will carry a 1911 mil spec in .45 ACP and spare magazines. Yeah, it's a little heavy but it's worth the comfort it provides.

Even if I wear cargo shorts, the little G19 carries very well in a front pocket. A very light weight cotton, short sleeve, casual button-up shirt covers the 1911. I carry that combo everywhere possible. The heat in SW Arizona and California is extreme from June thru early September. I also carry O.C. spray, a flashlight and a heavy duty Cold Steel pocket knife. You don't need to spend a hundred bucks to get a good folder. Check out Cold Steel or CRKT (Colombia River Knife and Tool).

My philosophy is: All law abiding Americans should regularly train with and carry a defensive handgun. Find the best trainer you can afford and pay them to train you in every level of handgun and empty hand combat, from civil and criminal liability issues
to what you do immedaitely following the use of deadly force. Then, teach what you've learned to your family.

I've been a cop for 21+ years and I fully support firearms in the possession of law abiding citizens and have trained my fair share of them. I have been "backed" by armed citizens on two occasions in my career. Be a responsible firearms owner. Don't give anyone the ammunition they want/need to disarm or further restrict our right to firearms ownership.

I can't recall the exact year but the 1st time was probably between 1988 and 1991. This was out in the county, I was a deputy at the time. It was a Sunday morning and the weather was cool. Dispatch told me there were two male subjects standing next to a sedan which was parked along the road's shoulder in front of a row of homes which sat off the roadway maybe 20 to 30 yards. The subjects were firing a weapon described as an AR15, into a row of pecan trees on the opposite side of the road. This area is just outside of the city limits and is fairly populated, more so today.

I asked dispatch to send a city unit for back-up. There were none available she replied so I asked for a BP unit and again, there were none available.

(BP always had an AR or M14 on board. This was prior to the North Hollywood shoot-out and very few cop cars were equipped with rifles. Now nearly every patrolman in the country carries a patrol rifle of some kind.)

I finally asked for a DPS unit. None available. As I approached the location I could see the vehicle and the two subjects.

There was no cover, it was just a long stretch of county roadway. To the west of them the road spanned a canal about maybe 200 yards away. The intersection from where I was watching them was maybe another 200 yards. There was just no cover anywhere to be had.

Now back in the day, almost everyone had a home scanner and listened all the time. On this Sunday, a resident was listening and realized what I was dealing with. Today most police agencies communications systems can't be scanned. Ours can't today.

I had sat there for several minutes watching these guys pointing that rifle in every direction. It appeared they were role playing i.e. firing from the hip, bayonet thrusts, taking cover from their vehicle etc but I never heard a shot fired. Anyway, I gunned my vehicle straight for the two subjects and came to a screeching halt about 20 to 30 yards away from the two. I angled my vehicle as taught and bailed out with my sidearm in one hand and the PA mic in the other and began shouting commands, while taking cover behind the engine block and door frame. I'm right handed which makes it all very difficult.

While I was shouting commands, the two subjects appeared to be having trouble deciding whether or not to follow my orders. Suddenly I heard a voice from behind me that said something to the effect of; "Don't worry deputy, I've got your back!" Needless to say, this startled the living daylights out of me and I instantly turned to face the voice as the older guy placed one hand on my left shoulder. In his other hand was a 1911 race gun. The guy was stooped down and then moved around to the passenger side of my vehicle. It's a little thing called; "Tunnel Vision".

The two guys with the AR then placed the rifle on the trunk lid, backed away and proned out as ordered. I checked with my back-up that he knew what to do and I moved in, cuffed both, patted both, cleared the sedan and then cleared the rifle. It was a BB gun. The two had stayed the night with a friend and as they were going home, they saw blackbirds in the bare pecan trees and were shooting the birds. I don't remember their ages but they were in their late teens.

My back-up was a guy named TC Canterbury and he had been listening to his scanner and responded to my call for help.

Twice in my law enforcement career, I've been lucky enough to have armed citizens respond to assist me (Just a cop to them. They didn't know me from the next cop.)

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND . . . THIS IS NOT A GAME. PLEASE DO NOT RUSH OR SNEAK UP ON A POLICE OFFICER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. THIS CAN BE VERY HAZARDOUS FOR EVERYONE. IT'S ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS IF YOU'RE ARMED.

I like polymer pistols for ccw as they tend to be light for all day carry. My personal favorite are glock pistols namely 17 and 26.Traditional metal handguns are too heavy for me for all day carry as they tend to put to much pressure on my neck which has been operated on and needs more surgery.

I have two that I carry on a regular basis. A Glock 23 and a Kimber Ultra Raptor 2. Both of these weapons had more than 1,000 rounds through them, without malfunction, before I carried them. The Glock is a little larger weapon, so in the summer I do not carry that as much as I do the Kimber, which is more concealable due to its smaller size. With the Kimber, I have a Mitch Rosen UDX holster. It is a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. Mitch also does quality work, and the holster rides high so concealment does not seem to be a real issue. In the cooler months I carry the Glock more because wearing heavier clothes, concealment is easier.
The idea of trying as may weapons as possible is good advice. I am 6'1" and go 230, so what is comfortable for me WILL not be comfortable for you.
When I was on the job, I carried my Colt Python. I had six in the gun and two pouches on my gunbelt with six rounds in each for a total of 18 rounds. Today, my Glock holds 13 and the two extra magazines that I carry have 13 more in each. Now I have 39 rounds, which is more than twice what I used to carry on duty. Of course, the first one is the one that really counts, the rest are just extras!